Before You Die: Dive Into the Great Blue Hole in Belize

Everyone wants to amaze their friends now and again, making them jealous of your adventure-filled life. You could post photos of you and your parents sitting camelback in front of the pyramids in Egypt, or maybe make your pals sit through a video of you riding a zipline across a tropical canyon somewhere. But hey, we’ve all done that, right? Let's kick it up a notch.

For majoe kickass traveler credentials, you'll want to travel to Belize, and dive deep into The Great Blue Hole. Better yet, jump out of a perfectly functioning aircraft and parachute into the hole, before you start your underwater trek.

The Great Blue Hole is a massive limestone sinkhole in the Caribbean Sea, near the Lighthouse Reef just off the Belize coast. It was one of Jacques Cousteau's favorite diving spots, and that's saying something.

One of the most picturesque spots on Earth, the hole drops down to a depth of almost 500 feet. The turquoise-colored water inside this spherical cavern is crystal clear, and home to several underwater cave systems, coral ledges, grottos, a plethora of stalactites and different species of fish and sharks, including the occasional hammerhead and bull shark that happen by for a visit.

Once you get to Belize, you’ll either have to drop into the water with an experienced dive master or be a season diver yourself. Why? If you don't know your way around a dive, this won’t just be a place you visit before you die; it could actually turn into the spot that does you in (did we mention the caves and sharks?).

You’ll need a full day in order to dive in this truly stunning spot. The word awe-inspiring gets thrown around a lot, but this is definitely one submerged limestone wonder you need to visit during your life, even if you just snorkel or sit on the boat like a wuss.

And listen, if you do happen to expire at the Great Blue Hole, at least you’ll be checking out in style. Better than slipping in the shower and bumping your head, right? 'Atta boy.